Cultural Studies

1. PROJECT IDEAS ON SUB-THEMES

2. ECOSYSTEM AND ECOSYSTEM SERVICES

3. Project Ideas
• Allergic problems due to pollen dispersal
• Alternative uses of weeds (e.g. water hyacinth, lantana,
Mesquite)
• Application of GPS tool in studying distribution of
particular plant or animal or group of species
• Application of Geographical Information System -
Remote Sensing (GIS-RS) techniques in studying
ecosystem or species.
• Assessment of living and non-living components of an
intermediate zone (Ecotone) and its associated
conservation issues.
• Beach Erosion - causes, impacts and restoration
• Butterflies and host plants

4. • Carbon footprint studies
• Catchment treatment for water conservation
• Change in drainage pattern due to land use changes
and impact on ecosystem characteristics
• Comparison of soil biota in organic farms and other
kind of farms
• Coral Reef diversity and ecosystem services
(livelihood)
• Crows -response to changes, including nest building
• Distribution pattern of flora & fauna in different
landscapes and their significance
• Diversity of aquatic plants in local water body / bodies
and their role in aquatic ecology

5. • Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) of developmental
activities in the locality
• Grazing and spread of plant species through dung/excreta
• Heronries / rookeries in your village/town and their
significance
• Impacts of anthropogenic activities on coral reef ecosystem
productivity including coral bleaching.
• Impact of invasive alien plants on ecosystem services of
terrestrial native vegetation (groves / gardens / forest)
• Impact of sounds on animal behaviour (Zoo / domestic /
stray animals)
• Indicator species and ecosystem health

6. • Inland wetlands and the Livelihood
• Insect-Pests and natural enemies - dynamics
• Invasive alien fishes and their impact on the aquatic
ecosystem
• Invasive aquatic plants and their impacts
• Invasion of pine in non-glacial zones of the Himalayas
• Is house sparrow disappearing from our houses and
markets? - a critical analysis.
• Mangroves and ecological services

7. HEALTH, HYGIENE AND SANITATION

8. Project Ideas
 Metals / heavy metals in potable water and its management
 Water quality assessment
 Biofilteration / bioremediation processes to make water available
for recycling
 Hygiene at personal / familial / community level and its impact on
community health
 Assessment of hygiene maintained at regular basis
 Level of hygienic conditions during different seasons
 Occurrence of diseases due to breakdown in hygienic conditions
and its management
 Waste management (eg.Diapers)
 Diseases (microbial / parasitic) and their impact of social /
economical / environmental parameters
 Impact and management of zoonotic diseases

9.  Impact and management of conditions arising out of vital nutrient
deficiency / malnutrition
 Comparison of sanitation before and after Swachch Bharat
campaign, in terms of behavioral change
 Impact of cookware used to cook on health
 Effect of Indoor Air Pollution on health
 Maternal health and hygiene during pre and post-partum stages
 Gender specific health and hygiene and its control / management
 Safe use of anthropogenic waste in agriculture.
 Impact of use of public transport on community health.
 Improving occupational health.
 Promoting city health through sensing technologies
 Unobtrusive fall monitoring of the elderly.

10. WASTE TO WEALTH

11. Project Ideas
 Fuel from Animal excreta such as cow dung, bio fuels
 Handling of E-Waste
 Identification, documentation & classification of the amount of
electronic and electrical goods left unused in one’s locality & look
out for means for disposal and/or re-use.
 Solid waste processing and disposal
 Preparing Briquettes and checking efficient use for soil less
plantation
 Minimizing wastage of irrigation water through improving water
retention in the soil using various wastes eg. wood shavings,
briquettes, paddy husk, coconut choir, etc.
 Bio remediation of waste water
 Hydroponics using grey and/or black water
 Treatment of kitchen waste water for removal of Fat, Oil Grease
 Preparing natural dyes from leaves, flowers, fruits of weeds
 Conversion of discarded flowers into useful products

12.  Extracting oil from the seeds of weeds, to be used for illumination
 Retention of soil moisture using wood shavings, briquettes, paddy
husk, coconut husk, hyacinth in crop fields
 Using paddy straw as substrate for mushroom cultivation
 Use of Graphite from used batteries (dry cells)
 Enhancing fertility of land using various wastes
 Plastic decomposition by bacteria
 Investigating properties of sponge for water retention and growing
plants
 Use of thrown away corrugated cardboard for making of tiles, panel
boards, etc.
 Preparing tiles and panel boards from tetra pack/ plastic bottles
 Preparing fertilizer & other useful products from the carcasses
 Innovative techniques for converting agriculture wastes into useful
products

13. Survey based projects
 Finding out the average waste generated per day at
home. Extend the estimation to waste generated by
the block, village, district, etc.
 Study the packaging trend and estimate the
associated wastage
 Monitoring air quality around waste landfill and
garbage dump areas
 Diversity of organisms/ animals around land fill areas
and linkage to vector borne diseases.
 Impact of polluted water due to presence of waste
dumping sites on public health

14. SOCIETY, CULTURE AND LIVELIHOODS

15. Project ideas
 Society, culture and food system’ its relation to sustainable
production and consumption case study of a community/tribe;
 Natural Resource Management and Livelihood security – case study
of area/community
 “Natural Disaster and livelihood security” – case study of an area
 “Society, culture and food system” - its impact of cooking energy
consumption and management – case study of an area
 “Impact of social and cultural practices on sanitation and health” –
case study of an area
 “Disaster induced migration and its impact of social, cultural and
livelihood practices” – case study of a community
 Social system, cultural practices its contribution to biodiversity
conservation/ wild life conservation- case study of an area/ a
community
 A study on menstrual hygiene related customs in your
locality/community and analyze the positive and/or negative impacts
of the same.

16. Identifying traditional customs in your locality that can be detrimental to
health of the women in the family.
 A study on changing livelihood structure, economic condition and
associated impacts on production and consumption patterns of your locality
 Study on impact of scientific intervention in optimizing the production of
traditional handlooms.
 Study on disappearing artisanal communities like blacksmiths with the
advent of lathes etc.
 Skill mapping and gap analysis in a particular community / area and
correlation to local demand, local resources.
 Local economy mapping with local natural resources and conducting a
feasibility study for local value addition through appropriate technologies.
 Eco-cultural mapping of a locality to develop eco-tourism operational plan.
 Study on local festivals /rituals and its relationship with mapping of
agricultural/animal husbandry practices and studying the underlying local
knowledge base.
 Analysis of local superstitions / myths and its impact on human
development in a sociological perspective.

17. TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE SYSTEM

18. Project Ideas
 Evaluation of nutritional values of traditional food
 Documentation of food fermentation techniques and its
relation to food quality preservation
 Study on biodiversity of a particular local community and
developing people’s biodiversity register
 Different architectural structures and its importance in
maintaining the ecosystem (e.g housing, bridges, water
distribution canals)
 Resource conservation methods and its sustainability
 Various agricultural farming systems and its importance with
the future scope
 Traditional knowledge of various agricultural tools and its
applicability in organic farming
 Sustainable knowledge of various agricultural practices

19.  Sustainable knowledge of various agricultural practices
 Traditional knowledge of fisherman and its links to sustainable
livelihoods
 Study on community seed bank and its relation to food
security
 Traditional knowledge on Food Preservation Techniques and
its importance as source of livelihood
 Traditional knowledge on natural fiber and its uses in modern
context
 Study on traditional knowledge on ecological restoration
mechanism its impact on ecosystem management
 Design and development of appropriate technology based on
traditional technological knowledge
 Experiment on water harvesting based on traditional
knowledge to verify its contemporary applicability